Grow a Tree of Thanks to share your appreciations
this holiday.

Each year at holiday dinners
we dutifully go around the table and share what we are thankful for – the
bountiful meal, our family, our friends. But I often leave the table feeling:
a) what about the little things that often go unnoticed, and b) why don’t we
celebrate what we are grateful for everyday? So this year, I decided it would
be different. On a quiet afternoon, when
the kids were at school, I posted a simple message on a patch of free wall
space in our kitchen. It read, “I am thankful for…”

This lonely little note was
met with much excitement when my kids arrived home that afternoon. Pen and
paper in hand, they began scribbling down some of the things that make them happy.

Each day we add something
new to our budding tree – a warm blanket, an unexpected visit from a friend, the sun peeking out
from behind the clouds on a rainy day. It’s an easy way to celebrate and be
thankful in the moment, and it’s wonderful to see our tree of thanks growing so
beautifully each day.

Instead of waiting until the
holidays to show our thanks, we are celebrating all that we are grateful for
each day, and bringing focus to some of the little things that bring us joy
when they so often (and so easily) go unnoticed. It’s a small way to appreciate
the simple things that make our lives special every day.

About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.